Food And Talk Served Here

Mangakkari

Swimming classes are part of summer vacation activities. I have pushed kiddo into the cool waters of the swimming pool near by. My job is to boost his morale and do a bit of dry coaching from the sides.

Mittu joined the summer swimming course and my son liked by the idea. But the next day, when we went to the place of action, the excitement turned into absolute fear. Clinging onto me, he refused to change his dress and started howling. It took 10 minutes of patient persuasion for his swimming master to peel him away from me and get him into the water.

His list of complaints include that the water is very cold (it isn’t!). ‘Everyone is splashing at me’ and ‘I don’t want to learn swimming’. His instructor told him to splash them back. That thought was consoling for him, but he still complaints that he cannot splash people who are under the water. He seems to fume at the unfairness of it.

The only time he smiled with abandon was when Mittu started screaming and crying saying she wants to go home. There was a look of satisfaction in his face then.

Ah..well, we have ten more classes left. I don’t know whether kiddo will start swimming or not, but I will start getting grey hairs.

My way of cooling down the body is not swimming, but to have curd rice. They go perfectly with this easy ready to eat mango pickle.

Ingredients:

Raw mango : 1 medium

Chili powder : 1 -2 tsp (or per taste)

Salt

Oil : 1 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

Curry leaves : 1 sprig

Method:

Peel and chop the mango into small pieces as in the picture. I had a little above 1 cup chopped pieces.

In a big bowl, add the mango pieces, required amount of salt and the chilli powder. Let it sit for 30 minutes or more.

In a kadai, heat oil and add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add it to the marinated mango. Store in a glass or china bottle (bharani) in the fridge.

You can serve it right away, but they taste better the next day. Serve with curd rice.

I guess this swimming issue is with all kids ..once they learn..then its a job to get them out!…the mango pickle looks yum..n I wud love to eat this with a slice of bread..unusual?..well thats how i like:))

My 5yr old son is just the same, even after an year he still has the fear of being trained by new instructor. He doesn’t like surprises in the pool and on the day of the class (I mean every week), his stomach pain starts and we coax him that he is going to be the best swimmer in his group. BTW ….the mango pickle and the click looks absolutely fantastic….love it totally!!!